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by maracopland



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes Returns, First Kiss, M/M, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 11:53:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10464294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maracopland/pseuds/maracopland
Summary: Steve Rogers has been searching for the Winter Soldier for months. He didn't have to look far.





	

He spent the first day sleeping. Not a full, unbroken sleep. Sometimes, I’d feel him start to twitch, and he’d mumble something, or he’d gasp, and his metal fingers would tighten in my shirt. There were times when I would be mid-book and I’d feel his eyes on me, a little unfocused.

“Morning, Buck.”

He’d blink at me a few times, then half-smile and his body would sink back against mine in relief. “Hey, Stevie.” Sometimes, he’d touch my cheek or cup the back of my neck to pull me close, but mostly, he’d tuck his head under my chin and his breathing would slow once more.

It’s really incredible that I found him before anyone else did, but like Natasha said; he was waiting for me to bring him home, and no one else. She was the one who called me. I don’t know how or why she knew, but what I don’t know about her could fill a book, so it’s best not to ask questions. She’d gotten intel that a former HYDRA agent was wandering disoriented around a formerly low income - ‘cause that’s what they call it now, not poor - neighborhood that was now home to places that we could have never afforded in our wildest dreams. Heck, I would never been able to tell you what frozen yogurt or quinoa were back in the day, and now there were shops dedicated to each of them a half block from the tiny apartment Bucky and I shared for so long. Times change, and it seems like he and I are men stuck somewhere in the middle of it - not just the past, but not exactly present or future.

I spotted him easily, and approached him like one did a stray dog. How many months had I been hunting him, and here he is, showing up in front of me. It’s fitting, I guess. Bucky Barnes was never one to do things you’d expect of him. “Bucky?” I called out, and he tensed up, turning to look at me. He looked so confused; so *broken* that I felt something inside of me shatter, and whatever titles we had didn’t mean a damn thing. We weren't Captain America or the Winter Soldier. We were just two kids who didn’t have anyone but each other and the minute my arms found their way around him, his shot around my midsection and held me there.

He’s barely let go since. I think he’s worried that this isn’t real; that he’ll wake up in whatever hellhole they had him in for so long again.

“….Steve?”

I moved my book out of the way to look at him. He was glancing around the room slowly, taking it in. “Hey, pal. You’re awake. You want to get something to eat?”

He frowned, propping himself up on one arm and his metal one went to the back of my neck. It was weirdly comforting, even if I’d seen that same arm tear a car door off its hinges like it was made of paper. “….where’m I?” Bucky asked, rubbing his eyes weakly.

“It’s okay.” I pressed a kiss to his forehead. “It’s okay. You’re home now.”

He took it in, looked around the room again and closed his eyes. I had the iPod device Tony had given me playing music that I knew Bucky would like to help jog his memory. So far, no luck, but I wasn’t going to give up on hi–

Bucky kissed me. Not just a sort of friendly kiss, or when he suggested we practice on each other when we were youn—

–Oh. *Oh.* Well, that makes more sense now.

“You and me?” He murmured, his breath still hot and wet against my lips. God, my heart was racing. It was like he was staring through me. I’d forgotten that look.

“Til the end of the line, Bucky.” Because what else could I say?

He smiled again, and his eyes looked a little less unfocused. “What do you have to eat in this joint?”

I wasn’t going to let anyone else take him again. SHIELD, HYDRA (….six of one, half a dozen of the other now, I guess) or anyone. He was home, and I wasn’t letting anyone else change that. “Pizza?”

“Pizza.” He lay his head on my chest and I stroked my fingers through his tangled hair, listening to the sound of his breathing until I finally let sleep take me too.

Home. He was home.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for any feedback you feel fit to give. <3 I've had this story kicking around in my head for days, and it feels so good to finally pour it out onscreen. I'd love to hear from you if you have any comments, or hey, if you're looking for roleplaying partners. Most importantly, thank you for reading! It means the world to me.


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